Review

The static that can be heard when the album begins to play is a prelude to a revelation. Industrial sounds shuffle in the background as an unknown voice tells us, �We are blind to the world within us� waiting to be born�. Suddenly as silence prevails, we are struck by the overwhelming.

Your soul has been slaughtered.

The band At the Gates became more than a band at the end of their career. They were legends. They became known as the band that truly revolutionized melodic death metal and made it what it is today. Without At the Gates, the genre would never have become what it has today. Since 1990 they combined melodic yet heavy elements with memorable and somewhat progressive songwriting. It all came to a head with their final album in the fateful mid-90�s, Slaughter of the Soul. With riffs more bludgeoning than ever and songs that will be stuck in your head for months, this album isn�t one to simply be ignored. When I first heard I thought, �This album is legendary? This kind of sucks�. But I didn�t stop there. It only took a single song to get me hooked. Once it did, I began listening to it more and more until�well; I think the rating says it all.

After the forty-second intro to Blinded by Fear the album hits you like a freight train and never lets up, except for a few incredible, emotional instrumental tracks. If you�re looking for another Terminal Spirit Disease you may be surprised. Riffs are catchier than ever, and harmonizing is utilized beautifully. However, it is immediately noticed how brutal this album is. The sound of a cocking shotgun that opens Suicide Nation can be called the album�s signature. At the Gates picked up a style here that is definitely notable. The fast moving riffs roll on at 90mph and sacrifice nothing in the way of melody or blending harmonies. The title track Slaughter of the Soul and Suicide Nation both contain dual guitar leading that seems to complete a though � you know there is a perfect riff to play in that part, and they know exactly which one. World of Lies is a slower, chugging track that pounds away with cannon-like drumming and a great rhythm.

As well as their flare for heavier writing is shown on Slaughter of the Soul, all is not lost. Many tracks contain incredible melodic moments as well as others reminiscent of their older Gothenburg. The twin guitar shredding on Blinded by Fear adds emotion to an otherwise violent song. The lead guitar tremolo picking in the middle of Under a Serpent Sun is a remembrance of Terminal Spirit Disease-style riffing. The pace is appropriately slowed by the first of the two instrumental tracks, Into the Dead Sky, with a acoustic playing that almost seems to tell us that the end is near. The Flames of the End could not be a more somber way to end the album. Melody is not lost on the final At the Gates album at all � it simply goes hand-in-hand with music that sent the band away leaving fans wanting more.

The bonus tracks here sound very much like they could�ve been written originally for this album. Slaughterlord�s Legion fits perfectly with tone of the preceding album, and The Dying is easily the slowest track they have ever released. Slayer�s Captor of Sin was made absolutely brutal by At the Gates. The music is as fast and heavy as ever, and Tomas�s voice seems to possess more insanity then Araya could ever hope for. Never fuck with an angry Swede. The album concludes with No Security�s Bister Verklighet, a song that I�m not sure how to categorize. It sounds like a B-side to Slaughter of the Soul that was rightfully scrapped the moment it was heard.

As a conclusion to their incredible career, Slaughter of the Soul could not have been a more suiting record. More ace material could�ve easily been released under their newfound intensity, but they chose to part ways before the future of At the Gates suffered. Though I refuse to ruin this review with talk of the member�s later careers (except Erlandsson, who went on to play with the incredible Cradle of Filth), the four albums released by At the Gates forever stand as the pinnacle of melodic death metal. Melody, technicality, brutality, and creativity are all blended to perfection by one of melodic death�s most original bands ever, and Slaughter of the Soul was the final nail in their renowned coffin. Rest in piece.

A few recommended tracks:
- Blinded by Fear
- Slaughter of the Soul
- Under a Serpent Sun
- Suicide Nation

Pros:
- Fast, heavy, melodic, overall unrelenting
- New and innovative for the time
- Appropriate appearances of old sounds

Cons:
- Some technical aspects gone
- Songs way too short
- The final At the Gates album

I count the At The Gates/Dissection/The Reign gig I saw in 1996 (on the Slaughter tour) as the best gig I've ever seen.

This album is the melody and brutality of their early albums distilled further for maximum impact. Some may say "sell out" but I say that this album perfected what they were trying to achieve. They stripped all the frills, all the extras that weren't really needed and just left a huge shot to the head.

There are very few albums I'd give 10/10. This is one. I don't think they could have taken it any further and so it was right to split up when they did.

ps lots of people overlook the first EP - Garden of Grief. Don't make the same mistake - killer old school Swedish death metal.

I'm sorry to bump, but there are points I want to emphasize. The riffs flow incredibly well. There are parts such as 00:32 into Slaughter of the Soul where it gets very smooth and has great melody. The same type of thing occurs 00:44 into Suicide Nation. It's like I said; you know there;s a perfect sounding riff that could be written, and they know just how to write it.

Also, the instrumentals are incredible. Into the Dead Sky has some beautiful melody contained, and I love the industrial elements on The Flames of the End (as well as the Blinded by Fear intro).

Also, I really love how both guitars solo simultaniously, but they don't have to shred. The Blinded by Fear solo is perfect and the Slaughter of the Soul solo is also amazing.